Between the towering all-suite lodge, adjacent indoor water park (included with your stay) and cozy mountain, Camelback Mountain has a true resort feel to it. Less than two hours from NYC, this Pocono Mountains hotspot is our clear-cut winner for a family-friendly ski and play getaway, attracting day-tripping city slickers and a loyal local following alike.
Camelback Mountain (or Big Pocono) stretches 39 ski trails across 166 skiable acres to the width of the mountain. Beginners and intermediates are especially well catered for here with 21 trails, but unlike most other resorts along the Poconos mountain range, which cater almost exclusively to the novice crowd, advanced and expert skiers have some options in Camelback, ranging from old-school, winding cruisers like Nile Mile and King Tut to the mogul-studded Cliffhanger, Hump and Basilisk. There are also two terrain parks with a half-pipe in each, naturally popular with boarders. Night skiing stretches the day out: you can take the Sullivan Express up at 8:30am to dip into some fresh tracks, work your way east towards Stevenson Express in the afternoon and roll back down a full twelve hours later for some slopeside cocktails at Trails End. For non-skiers, the Snowtubing park is one of the largest in the U.S with a whopping 42 lanes of tubing fun.
The ski-in, ski-out Camelback Lodge punches above its weight: as you valet your car and enter the impressive Alpine-style lobby featuring leather-clad seating areas, an exposed wooden beam ceiling and expansive open-air coffee shop, the vibe is mountainside rustic meets casual luxury. Desk service is professional yet laid back, and inside the rooms design is slick and cheery. Dining options are numbered but excellent: on our first night, it was cauliflower base margarita and pepperoni pies at the funky Graffiti Pizza – both were cheese-laden crowd pleasers. On the second and last night, we hit Trails End Pub & Grille for après-ski drinks by the outdoor fire pits, a very good baked salmon with kale succotash and a humongous, dry rubbed rack of ribs which were ridiculously mouthwatering for a non-BBQ Northeastern joint.
While the hotel and restaurants are competently managed to create a professional and friendly atmosphere, Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark is the real difference maker here: overnight guests are equipped with wristbands which double as room keys and a pass to world-class slides and rides galore, alongside a Flowrider surfing simulator, wave pool, indoor/outdoor hot tub and a lazy river. The park is capped by a transparent Texlon roof and kept at a steady 84F so even on a dark and snowy night, the shenanigans keep going inside from 10am to 9pm. Adrenaline pumping numbers include the Storm Chaser and the Mountain Mayhem, with nighttime sliding making for an eerie experience as you hurl through 400 feet of fully enclosed, dark aquatubes illuminated only by occasional laser displays and the soundtrack of your own shrieks of joy and terror.
Other indoor attractions such as rock climbing walls, laser tag and a ropes course as well as a gaming arcade round up the list of activities. We’ve met several families who have been frequenting the resort for years – and it’s no wonder: Camelback does a great job of combining downhill and land-based adventure in one complex – a self-sufficient playground for kids and adults alike which will keep you coming back for more.
Check it out: Best Family-friendly Resort near NYC